GRSJ224/Medicalization of Beauty between Generation in South Korea

Introduction

As one of the most medically advanced countries, South Korea became the plastic surgery capital, and has the most prevalent plastic surgery consumers from all over the world. Even since South Korea was first introduced to plastic surgery during the Korean Warn in the mid-1940, plastic surgery was not only socially and legally legitimized as a necessary medical practice in South Korea, but also became industrialized to the level in which plastic surgery Plastic surgery soon became the major source of national income. Popularization of cosmetic enhancement through plastic surgery has changed people's perspectives on physical appearances, and heighten the standards of beauty; therefore, it has resulted in medicalization of beauty. Today, South Koreans perceive plastic surgery as one of the necessary ordinary commodities.

History of Medicalization of Beauty in South Korea

The First Appearance of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery in the 1960's and 1970's

In the 1960's and 1970's, South Korea was still in the process of recovery from the Korean War. South Korea began to reconstruct its national economy through the implementation of strong policies. During the reconstruction, the legal and social legitimization of plastic surgery in Korea also took place. During the Korean War in the early 1950's, the American military occupation took place in South Korea, and a American military surgeon, Dr. David Ralph Millard performed reconstructive plastic surgery for wounded soldiers with deformities (Leem, 2015). Millard also had performed cosmetic surgery on Korean female patients, who were usually involved in sex trades, to look more appealing to Americans who were their major customers (Thompson, 2012). In 1961, Dr. Jae-Duck Yu, a Korean plastic surgeon who had been certified in the United States, began to practice and teach the specialty at the Medical College of Yonsei University, which had the first department of plastic surgery in South Korea, and, in 1969, the Korean Medical Association admitted the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, which was establisehd by Dr. Yu in 1966 (Leem, 2015). In 1974, plastic surgery for cosmetic purposes as medical practice was finally approved by the Supreme Court in South Korea. The legitimization of plastic surgery was based on the pathological reason. Patients of plastic surgery were viewed as those who suffer from psychological problems about their physical appearance; for example, female patients were even portrayed as "ill-women" (Dong-a Ilbo, 1969). This is the framework for medicalization of beauty because it led South Koreans to think that being beautiful according to the standards built by the society.

Plastic Surgery in the 1980's and 1990's

From the 1980's to 1990's, South Korea had gone through enormous economic, cultural, and political growth, and South Koreans, given economic development and political stability, finally begins to enter consumerism. During this period, plastic surgery along wit other beauty treatments, as emerging commodities, was popularized and became part of middle-class culture (DiMoia, 2013). Additionally, South Koreans began to appreciate cultural products such as popular songs, and were more exposed to western culture, such as Hollywood movies and western popular songs. Popular culture changed South Koreans' perspective on the standard of beauty. South Koreans began define a beautiful women as a woman with western face features, such as double-eyelids and a sharp nose.

Plastic Surgery in the early 2000's

During the early the 2000's, the industrialization of plastic surgery took place. In 1997, economic hardship returned to South Korea, and South Korea had to receive financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund. In 2001, South Korea's economy recovered, but was still unstable. Hence, companies and markets were deregulated. Soon, plastic surgery along with other cosmetic treatments and product lines for enhancement of physical appearances became one of the sources for market competitions among both individuals and plastic surgeons. The expansion of the industry increased the demand for plastic surgery and competition among plastic surgeons harder. The product of competition was innovation and improvement of plastic surgery procedure. South Korea, therefore, becomes the capital of plastic surgery. Korean plastic surgery businesses went beyond the national border and attracted consumers from other Asian countries including China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, due to the export of Korean popular cultural products, such as Korean dramas and Korean popular musics, to those Asian countries. Plastic surgery soon became the major source of national income. In this period, plastic surgery became a national characteristic of South Korea.

Plastic Surgery Now and Medicalization of Beauty between Generations

Plastic surgery became very common in South Korea that at least 50 percent of Korean women in their twenties had had plastic surgery (Chung, 2007). Regardless of race, gender, and age, many South Koreans get plastic surgery to enhance their physical appearance.

Consumers of Plastic Surgery Now

all over the world,